Improved method of preparing hfftro-g-lycerine



STEPHEN-CHESTER AND OTTO BRSTENBINDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 85,906, dated Janna/ry 19, 1369:

mROVED METHOD OF PREPARING NITRO-GLYCERINE.

'The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

` tus used for combining the glycerine-oil'with the compounded nitric and sulphuric acids, in whicha represents a revolving table, upon which a vessel, b, is placed, containing the acids already mixed in the requisite proportions. I

On the shelf e, above this vessel, is placed another vessel, d,'containing the glycerine-oil, from which a pipe with stop-cock, e, leads, 'so as to let the oil drop or flow into the mixture of acid at pleasure, the rapid- :ity of dow being governed bythe stop-cock.

Within the glass or otherA vessel containing the acids is suspended a glass tube, k, with branches, (which apparatus is more particularly delineated in Figure 2.)

This consists 4.of a main perpendicular tube, 'terminating in a fine perforated point, with several radial branches, extending in several horizontal planes, and

of diverse lengths, but all terminating in fine perforated points, but all' being bent in the same direction, to the right or to the left, as the case may be, so that the axis of thefsmall aperture shall be tangential to the arc described by its respective tube, the axis of the main perpendicular tube being the centre, so that if gas or air were forced through the main tube, escaping -through the several apertures described, the entire apparatus .would have a tendency to revolve in the direction opposite to those in which the minute jets escaped.

This apparatus being, as before described, suspended in the mixing-vessel b, is connected with a tube and stopcock, f, with a gasometer, G, containing carbonicacid gas.

-A small ice-box, in which is a worm, may be in'- serted between the glass apparatus and gasometer, so that the gas, in its passage through the worm, may be made colder' in its passage. but this is not an essential feature in the invention.

1t is evident 'that if the'stop-cock fhe opened after the above-described arrangements have been completed, and the glass apparatus k be rest-rained from revolving, the escape ofrgis fromthe several apertures wllcnuse thc iiuid to rotate, and that part of the vessel not ulready filled with liquid will be occupied by the carbonicacid gas, to thc exclusion of atmospheric nir; :rlsothat the minute bubbles 0f gas, perrneat-ingl every part. of rhe mixture, .vill'rapidly convey away the heat that may bc caused by chemical action'.

lint great heut is caused by the union ofthe glycerf,

ine-oil with the mixture of acids. Hence it appears that the temperaturelof thecompound, whilst the oil is being introduced, can be almost exactly regulated' by closing, partially, the one stop-cock, and opening the other, so as to allow the gas or the oil to ilow more rapidly, as the thermometer It, suspended in the-mix ing-vessel, indicated that the temperature ofthe fluidl was rising above or falling below the point at which experience has shown that the desired chemical union takes place.

As combustion very4 quickly takes place if the temperature be allowed to rise much above 65o Fahrenheit, and the oil and acids do'not readily unite if the temperature be below 60, it is highly important that the means of regulating the temperature should 'be controllable and instant in their effects.

The revolving table, before described, permits a more rapid rotation to be given to the mixture, if desirable, if, for the purpose of allowing the temperature to rise, the iiow of gas be checked partially, so that the rotation of the liquid produced, as first described, becomes sluggish.

The rapidity with which heat is conveyed away from the mixture by the expansion of cold compressed carbonic-aci'd ga's within the liquid, renders it possible to introduce the oil very rapidly, as compared with any other known process, and the ease with which the ternperature is controlled, enables Ithe operator to manipulate several apparatus.

But, additional to the advantages above claimed for the use of carbonio-acid gas, it is found that, on account of the acids and air being separated by a superincunibent atmosphere of carbonio-acti gas, the absorption of water from the atmosphere-by the sulphuric acid is prevented, and also the evaporation ofthe acids, that would take place when compressed air forced through the mixture, and in consequence, a greater' product is obtained. I

It is now believed, with a certain amount of ingredients used, that the product obtained by this process is twenty per cent. greater than that produced by any other process.

As the methodof separating the blasting-oil from. the mixture of acids'and oil by washing in water is common to all methods of manufacture, and forms no part of what we claim 'as novel in our method of manufacture, we do not deem it necessary to describe that portion of the process particularly.

We believe and claim, however, that a small portable table, containing several `of the apparatus above described, with one small cylinder of carbonicfacid gas,

comprising, altogether, an apparatus that can easily be carried' by two men, is capable of mixingthc ingredients forI producing one hundred pounds of nitro-glycerinevper day, and no Aother apparatus is rcquiredto complete the operation, and produce the pure blasting oil, than the necessary stone ,or other vessels to con;- tain the above-described mixture and the quantity of water required.

Hence, the oil can be produced in all reasonable quantities, wherever. i1; may. be required,(wthout dan gerin its manufact-ure, and thus avoiding transport tion, handling, or paking.`

O laims.

1 We clairn' the mixing of the ingredients from which explosive oil Ais produced, under un atmosphere of carbonio-acid gas.

2. We claim thc vcooling of mixtures prodning ex` plosive oil or fluid, by the ebullit'ion ofwol connu'essed -ozubonic-:Lcid gus through the mixture olglquid.

3. 4We lo not claim the stirring of fluids by the ebul- Iiti'on oi'vuir or gases forced through tubes therein, but we do claim the ,method of causing ,the liquid to rotate by means of the escape of'jets of gas, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described'.

4. We claim the arrangement of mixing-vessels,

glass tubes, with apertures, as described, in connection with table, gasoline-ter, flexible m1lws,stop ouks,thormometer, frame, oil-vessel, Jvc., .ilronu portable :ipporztus, substantially in the nnuluur und for the purposes described.

5. Te cluilu the mixing ot' the ingredients prmlueing explosive mixtures, under -au atmosphere n'hirh loes not supportcombustion, and through which no external cause of lea-gration is liable to rem-.h the mixture.

(i. W'e claim broadly the. use. of uurbonimueid gus, 

